The Indian Church currently stands at a historic crossroads. The Kerala Church, which holds a central position within the Indian Christian community in terms of both human resources and financial strength, will play a crucial role in determining the future direction of Christian mission in India through the stances it adopts during this period.
At this juncture, where communal majority has overridden political majority and degraded this great democracy into a mere technicality, the immediate question that needs an answer is how the Christian Church will sustain its existence and mission. The question is whether to humbly crawl on its knees, accepting crumbs from the banquet table of communal fascist authoritarianism and following the path they dictate, or to bravely step forward on the path of self-respect and self-awareness.
At this juncture, where communal majority has overridden political majority and degraded this great democracy into a mere technicality, the immediate question that needs an answer is how the Christian Church will sustain its existence and mission. The question is whether to humbly crawl on its knees, accepting crumbs from the banquet table of communal fascist authoritarianism and following the path they dictate, or to bravely step forward on the path of self-respect and self-awareness.
When two nuns were falsely accused and imprisoned in Chhattisgarh, the Kerala Church became alert to the perils of majoritarian communalism in an unprecedented way. Protest programmes were held across the state. They received boundless support from the secular public, meaning society viewed this as its own problem. This is because what happened in Chhattisgarh was not merely an obstruction of two Christian missionaries’ activities; it was a brazen violation of two Indian daughters’ fundamental rights. This constitutional subversion, directly carried out by organised forces with government support, cannot be ignored by anyone with democratic sensibilities.
Many responsible figures within the Church addressed this issue with unusual clarity. They did not hesitate to point fingers at the perpetrators’ movement and ideology. However, it’s worth noting this specifically because it contrasts with their culpable silence in similar situations in the past.
Did the news from Chhattisgarh awaken those who were asleep or pretending to sleep in this manner because the victims, Sister Preethi Mary and Sister Vandana Francis, were Malayalees? Or because they were members of the Syro-Malabar Church? What would our reaction have been if this aggression had been directed at two tribal nuns in North India? Would our voice have been raised if the victims were non-Catholics? We must confront our own conscience with these questions. The times demand the realisation that silence, indifference, and inaction will be of no use.
The Church will bring the Gospel to all. The Church has not forgotten its primary lesson: that the good news is food for the hungry, literacy for the illiterate, health for the sick, and liberation for the enslaved. Proselytization and increasing numbers are not the primary goals of the Church. Nor will it reject those who understand Christianity and wish to embrace it.
This is the opportunity for the Church to loudly proclaim what it is doing and to unequivocally declare that it will not back down, no matter who shouts or attacks. The Church’s mission is no secret, nor should it be. The Church’s mission is to constantly and openly reach out to society, especially to those on its fringes and margins. We’re called to “go forth from our own comfort zones” in order to be missionary disciples for Christ (Evangelii Gaudium, 20).
The Church will bring the Gospel to all. The Church has not forgotten its primary lesson: that the good news is food for the hungry, literacy for the illiterate, health for the sick, and liberation for the enslaved. Proselytization and increasing numbers are not the primary goals of the Church. Nor will it reject those who understand Christianity and wish to embrace it. Religious propagation and conversion are not crimes in India. While it is clear that laws against forced conversion in BJP-ruled states, and amendments to existing ones, are intended to create a hostile environment for Christians and minorities, and that these draconian laws are being used to achieve their objectives, the Church must loudly declare that it will not fear anyone, as Christian missionaries are not doing anything illegal, even under the provisions of those very laws.
With the threat of the nation sinking into religious authoritarianism looming, responding and fighting against it through democratic means is also a vital mission of the Church in India today. In fulfilling this mission, the Church also has a responsibility to unite with like-minded individuals. It should not beg for favours on its knees before aggressors, but rather join forces with the oppressed and advance without fear.
